Dressform

ABSTRACT

A dressform comprising independently adjustable body portions each consisting of relatively movable sections wherein the sections of each pair of sections are bridged by devices consisting of overlapping members having a pin and slot connection which can be locked in a selected position to provide a desired body measurement, one of said member being formed with an opening or window through which can be viewed successively measurements indicated on the member located therebehind.

United States Patent Arthur et al. 1 Oct. 1, 1974 1 DRESSFORM 1,416,4055 1922 Gurney 223/68 1 Eric Richard Arthur, 93 Baswn Rd, 52133332 511322fiiiiiijiijii; 1111113532122 Hayes; Oliver Robeft Clemesha, 13 3,191,8216/1965 Levin et a] 223/68 Eastdown Pk., Lewlsham, London, both ofEngland Primary Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin [22] Filed: Aug. 24, 1973Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Emory L. Groff; Emory L.

G ff, J 121 Appl. No.: 391,049 m r [57] ABSTRACT (Si. A dressformcomprising independently adjustable 58 "223/66 68 body portions eachconsisting of relatively movable 1 le 0 care 33/11 1 sections whereinthe sections of each pair of sections are brid ed by devices consistingof overla in memb h d l h g b ers avmg a pin an sot connection w 1c cane [56] References Clted locked in a selected position to provide adesired body UNITED STATES PATENTS measurement, one of said member beingformed with 1,153,219 9/1915 Granger 223/68 an opening or window throughwhich can be viewed 1,218,272 3/1917 Kerste 223/68 successivelymeasurements indicated on the member 1,228,908 6/1917 Granger.....223/68 located therebehind l,27l,890 7/1918 Granger... 223/68 1,313,3038/1919 Konikoff 223/68 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDBBT H 3838300SHEET 10! 2 PATEN {590m 1 mm sum 2 or 2 DRESSFORM CROSS-REFERENCE TORELATED APPLICATIONS United Kingdom Applications Nos. 41558/72 datedSept. 7, 1972 and 6615/73 dated Feb. 9, 1973.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to dressforms used asmodels by dressmakers and has for its primary object the provision of adress form comprising independently adjustable body portions eachconsisting of relatively movable sections capable of being extendedapart or re tracted together to vary the size of the model to suit it tothe making of a garment of a particular size, i.e., so that the model isset to correspond to certain bust, hips and waist or other measurements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention consists in the provision of adressform comprising independently adjustable body portions, each ofsaid body portions consisting of relatively movable sections capable ofbeing extended apart or retracted together to vary the overall size ofsaid portions, setting devices bridging opposed edges of the sections ofsaid body portions, said devices each comprising respectively a slottedblade secured at one end to one body section so as to project beyond anedge thereof and overlap an adjacent body section, and adimension-bearing strip overlapping and located behind said slottedblade, a clamping device secured to one end of said strip and projectingthrough the slot in said blade and adapted to lock this end of the stripin a required set position along the length of the slot and adimension-viewing window formed in one of the dressform sectionsadjacent an edge thereof through which appear successively andindividually different measurements indicated on said dimension-bearingstrip when the clamping device is slackened and the two adjacent bodysections are moved apart or towards one another to provide a requireddimension of a body portion at which the latter is retained when theclamping device is returned to a clamping position.

According to one embodiment of the invention the means for locking saidmembers together in required set positions comprises a clamping screwand, according to a second embodiment said locking means comprises apush button that can be actuated to displace locking pegs out ofengagement with openings in said relatively slidable members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view of a dressform (withthe stand omitted) and indicating diagrammatically the setting meansprovided by this invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view drawn to an enlarged scale and illustratingsections of a body portion bridged by said setting means,

FIG. 3 is a plan viewof FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating adjacent sections of a bodyportion bridged by modified setting means according to a secondembodiment, and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 3of said drawings, the dressform with which the present invention isconcerned is illustrated in FIG. 1 and comprises an upper body portionconsisting of four sections 1 (two at the front and two at the back) anda lower body portion comprising four sections 2 (two at the front andtwo at the back) the sections 1 combining to form a bust part 3 and awaist portion 4 and the sections 2 combining to form a hip portion 5which merges from said waist portion 4.

The four sections 1 are adjustable radially towards and away from oneanother so as to decrease or increase the circumferential size of theparts 1 so as to enable the size of the bust portion 3 and the waistportion 4 to be varied and likewise the sections 2 are adjustableradially towards and away from one another to decrease or increase thehip dimensions.

The setting means is indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 1 and isillustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. As shown in these latterFigures the setting means comprises a blade-part 6 secured at its end 6ato one of the sections 1 or 2 by means of an eyelet 7 constituting anopening or window through which can be observed body dimensions 8 on aplastics or other strip 9 which is slidable behind said blade-part 6with the di-,

mensions 8 passing in line formation successively and individuallybehind the window or opening 7.

The other end of said strip 9 is secured to the shank 10 of a clampingscrew having a slotted head 11 by which the screw can be slackened andretightened by engaging same with an edge of a coin or other implement.

The shank of said screw passes through a slot 12 in said blade-like part6.

The arrangement is such that when two adjacent sections 1 m2 are movedrelatively to space them a greater or lesser distance apart the line ofmeasurements 8 moves relative to and behind said window 7 (oralternatively the window moves over and relatively to said measurements)so that the sections can be set in relative positions to provide therequired dimensions of the body part they combine to form. The screw ofcourse is slackened prior to adjustment and is retightened after saidadjustment has been effected. The screw can conveniently be held againstunintentional loosening by a springy plate 13 having teeth that co-actwith the thread of the screw and also with one or more hook-like partswhich engage over the upper edges of the blade-like part 6 and the strip9 to guide these parts during movement.

The part of section 1 or 2 to which the blade-like part is secured bythe eyelet 7 is also formed with guide pieces 14 between which the edgesof the strip 9 can slide.

Referring next to the modification illustrated by FIGS. 4 and 5 thesetting means comprises a housing 20 secured by rivets 21 to a marginalpart of one section 1 or 2 of the dressform, said housing 20 havingslidable therethrough one end of a slide 22 secured at its other end 220to a marginal part of a second and adjacent section 1 or 2 of thedressform whereby said slide 22 is moved endways when the adjacentsections are extended apart or retracted together to vary the size ofthe body portion they represent.

The end of the slide 22 passing through the housing is slotted at 220 soas to engage, over a push button 23 serving to release means normallyacting to lock the slide 22 and therefore the section 1 or 2 fitted withthe housing and the section adjacent thereto to which the end 220 of theslide is fixed in a required pre-set position.

The said locking means comprises a C-section springy plate 24 providedwith locating pins which normally engage in aligned registering holes22b in the I slide 22 and holes 26a in a strip 26 bearing a scale ofmeasurements over which said slide 22 is movable. The strip 26 need onlybe provided with a single pair of holes 26a, as the strip is stationary,with which a plurality of pairs of holes 22b in the slide 22 registersucces sively.

The said scale 27 of measurements may conveniently comprise an elongatedstrip of synthetic plastics material on which a line of measurements isprinted or otherwise applied and which are visible successively, whenthe slide 22 is moved endways, through an opening or window W in saidsection 1 or 2 fitted with the housing 20.

The said slide 22, the housing 20 and the press button 23 may be made ofmetal or synthetic plastic material or other suitable material.

When it is desired to adjust the setting of a pair of adjacent panels 1and 2 of the dressform, the mechanism is operated by depressing the pushbutton 23 which moves the springy plate 24 and disengages the lockingpins 25 from the aligned holes 22b and 26a in the scale 22 and themeasuring strip 26 respectively and so permits the slide 22 and thesections 1 and 2 to be moved towards or away from one another to anyrequired setting corresponding to that required for a particular bodyportion.

When the desired setting has been reached, the press button 23 isreleased and allows the springy plate 24 to re-assert itself andre-engage the locking pins 25 in aligned holes 22b and 26a in said slideand measuring strip, the holes 22b registering with the holes 26a whendifferent settings have been achieved.

The panel 1 of the dressform is of course formed with an opening throughwhich the press button 23 passes.

The measuring strip 26 is conveniently held in position by engaging oneend of it with the press button 23 and also by the locating pins 25 whenthe latter are engaged with the holes in said slide 22. The end of themeasuring strip 26 behind the section to which the end 22c of the slide22 is fixed is engaged between guides (not shown) so as to allowrelative movement to take place between this end of the strip and themarginal portion of said section. The measuring strip 26 is notfunctional in the mechanism of the press button assembly but simplyindicates a measurement which is viewable by said opening or window W insaid section 1 and slide 22.

We claim:

v1. A dressform comprising independently adjustable body portions, eachof said body portions consisting of relatively movable sections capableof being extended apart or retracted together to vary the overall sizeof said portions, setting devices bridging opposed edges of the sectionsof said body portions, said devices each comprising respectively aslotted blade secured at one end to one body section so as to projectbeyond an edge thereof and overlap an adjacent body section, and adimension-bearing strip overlapping and located behind said slottedblade, a clamping device secured to one end of said strip and projectingthrough the slot in said blade and adapted to lock this end of the stripin a required set position along the length of the slot and adimensionviewing window formed in one of the dressform sections adjacentan edge thereof through which appear successively and individuallydifferent measurements indicated on said dimension-bearing strip whenthe clamping device is slackened and the two adjacent body sections aremoved apart or towards one another to provide a required dimension of abody portion at which the latter is retained when the clamping device isreturned to a clamping position.

2. A dressform as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping devicecomprises a screw that passes through the slot in the blade and isfitted with a springy plate having teeth that co-act with the thread ofthe screw to prevent loosening of the screw.

3. A dressform as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping devicecomprises a push button secured to the dimension-bearing strip, saidbutton projecting through the slot in the blade and acting on a springymember to displace pegs on said member out of engagement with alignedholes in said slide and strip so as to allow relative movementtherebetween and also between adjacent body sections.

1. A dressform comprising independently adjustable body portions, eachof said body portions consisting of relatively movable sections capableof being extended apart or retracted together to vary the overall sizeof said portions, setting devices bridging opposed edges of the sectionsof said body portions, said devices each comprising respectively aslotted blade secured at one end to one body section so as to projectbeyond an edge thereof and overlap an adjacent body section, and adimension-bearing strip overlapping and located behind said slottedblade, a clamping device secured to one end of said strip and projectingthrough the slot in said blade and adapted to lock this end of the stripin a required set position along the length of the slot and adimensionviewing window formed in one of the dressform sections adjacentan edge thereof through which appear successively and individuallydifferent measurements indicated on said dimension-bearing strip whenthe clamping device is slackened and the two adjacent body sections aremoved apart or towards one another to provide a required dimension of abody portion at which the latter is retained when the clamping device isreturned to a clamping position.
 2. A dressform as claimed in claim 1,wherein the clamping device comprises a screw that passes through theslot in the blade and is fitted with a springy plate having teeth thatco-act with the thread of the screw to prevent loosening of the screw.3. A dressform as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping devicecomprises a push button secured to the dimension-bearing strip, saidbutton projecting through the slot in the blade and acting on a springymember to displace pegs on said member out of engagement with alignedholes in said slide and strip so as to allow relative movementtherebetween and also between adjacent body sections.